Posts From February, 2012

If you’re going to go up against the world’s deadliest foes you’re going to need every advantage that you can get. Fortunately for you we’ve got inside tips on how to best tackle Unit 13’s numerous missions, game types, connectivity features and more straight from developer Zipper Interactive. Over the next week, we’ll be rolling out a three-part in-depth video series to teach you everything from the core fundamentals of how to play the game to tips on how to tackle each mission type and even how to fully take advantage of Unit 13’s networking features.

Part 1, “How to Play”, shows you what it will take to run with the best-of-the-best. It covers everything from a complete control breakdown to tactical combat strategies to Unit 13’s in-depth scoring system. This is as close to a Unit 13 boot camp as you’ll get.

The next two videos in the series, “Game Types” and “Sharing and Competing”, will be released in the near future right here on the PlayStation.Blog, so check back then for more insider tips on Unit 13.

Hello everybody! We’ve been hard at work since we first unveiled Papo & Yo last summer, and the game has come a long way in the past few months. As we get ready to (finally!) show off more of the game next week at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you all a little bit about how Monster – a character very important to both the story and to me personally – has evolved since my initial concept into the Monster you see today.

If you’ve been following Papo & Yo, you may remember that Monster represents my father, a man I had a difficult relationship with. To tell the story I wanted to tell – my story – I knew that this character had to show the positive aspects of the man I loved… and the negative aspects of the man I feared. This turned out to be challenging – I knew who Monster was, but not what he looked like. Luckily, I’m extremely fortunate to have friends like Nilo Rodis, a man who has worked on the art for movies ranging from Pixar titles to Star Wars, and the man who helped me find my father in Monster.

As most of you know, Starhawk is a frenetic 3rd person shooter with a ton of toys to play with. Its got a strong solo story campaign, deep 32 player head-to-head and even co-op! You can run, fly and drive almost anywhere you want. Its vehicular combat at its finest. The most popular question we get from players unfamiliar with the game is “What is this thing called Build & Battle?” Simply put its a dead simple way to build up a base all around you while staying in the middle of a fierce battle. Its not block building and its not slow. We’re not making Sim City. To show you, here is a nifty trailer!

In Starhawk we have one simple slogan…”Kill to build, build to kill.”

It’s not a gimmick. Its a really easy way for players to change the battlefield on the fly, in an instant straightforward manner. Its about dropping gigantic crates from orbit, having them smash down in front of you and having a big laser or bunker build right in front of you. You can even drop them on enemies (“Dorothy’d”).

A lot of you have been wondering about a North American release date for Gravity Rush on PS Vita, which released to great response in Japan on February 9th under the name “Gravity Daze.” Today, we’re pleased to confirm that Gravity Rush will come to PS Vita in North America on June 12th, as both a digital release on PlayStation Store and a game card at retailers nationwide.

If you’re not yet familiar with this epic action-adventure game, read on for a quick overview. In the world of Gravity Rush, a futuristic world is under attack from unknown forces: So-called “gravity storms” have begun appearing in the sky, wreaking havoc while strange creatures terrorize the population. Amidst the mayhem, a young girl named Kat wakes up with a phenomenal new ability to control gravity.

WipEout 2048 on PS Vita takes us 36 years into the future, offering a glimpse at the birth of anti-grav racing — a fictional sport that has become synonymous with PlayStation. Take a look at our new trailer and pay close attention at the start for an impression of what two WipEout ships squaring up on the streets of modern Britain might look like.

In keeping with the theme, here are a few words from Mick Hocking, Vice President for Liverpool, Evolution and London studios, on where he thinks gaming will be in 2048. Mick is largely responsible for the creation and development of such series as WipEout, MotorStorm and SingStar, and is well placed discuss where we have been and, crucially, where we are heading.

This week we’ve got great new PSN experiences to highlight, including new PSN Games, a great new way to access a killer multiplayer experience, and the return of a cult classic.

This week also marks the start of the 2012 Gamers’ Choice Awards! Vote on your favorite PSN releases from 2011 by going to the PlayStation Store and select your favorite from each category. Each of the nominees were selected based on their ratings from you, the players. Voting is open for one week. Then next week, the winners of each category will go on sale. The power is in your hands; vote now! Vote at psngamerschoiceawards.com to select your favorite PSN Indie. Then check out the rest of the nominees on the PlayStation Store.

Welcome to winter. It’s snowing in Fargo today and the northeast is about to get some of that white stuff too. But I hear Italy is lovely this time of year. Wouldn’t you rather be seaside in some adorable little European villa? Picture it: Sitting in a small bistro, overlooking the sea, sipping something delicious…why, it’s a little slice of paradise.

Then you hear the WHUPWHUPWHUP of rotors overhead, and your exquisite view is obscured by smoke from a nearby grenade. Sorry, pal, you’re not on vacation – you’re in the thick of the conflict, because you’re in Piazza, one of the two new Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer maps that are reaching Call of Duty Elite premium members today via the PlayStation Network. Now it’s a little slice of paramilitary paradise.

Last week on The Tester 3, we saw the gamers endure a rigorous challenge inspired by UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss. Their ability to overcome a demanding obstacle course and quickly adapt was tested. Nolan North also came by the PlayStation Loft to show off his new PS Vita title, and an unexpected double elimination caught everybody by surprise. If you missed it, watch it right here.

This week, the fight literally begins with Street Fighter X Tekken. Not only will we see head-to-head competition in the upcoming new game, but each gamer’s creativity will be tested when they must create new game characters and choreograph fight scenes for guest panelist, Capcom Special Combat Advisor, Seth Killian.